1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminator and laminating method for lamination to a substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to a laminator and laminating method for lamination to a substrate in which a product can be obtained efficiently and failure can be prevented reliably.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A color filter for a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel is produced by photo lithography, in which a laminated sheet or plate having a photosensitive layer is exposed and developed for each of the three colors. To produce the laminated sheet or plate, a laminator is used for laminating or transferring a transfer layer to a glass substrate. At first, laminated material is prepared, including a support and the transfer layer overlaid thereon. The laminated material is a material of a shape of sheet or film. The support is a base film and has transmittance. The transfer layer is formed from photosensitive solution of dispersion of pigment. This producing method is advantageous over the spinner method, as no application of a coating to the glass substrate is required. There is no problem of projection failure or blank failure which would be caused in the spinner method.
In addition to the color filter for the LCD panel, the laminator and laminating method are used for producing a laminated sheet or plate in a plasma display panel, printed circuit board and the like.
The laminated material includes the support, the transfer layer, and a cover film overlaid on one another, and is continuous and wound in a roll form. For lamination to the glass substrate by transfer, the laminated material is unwound, from which the over film is peeled. Then the transfer layer is fitted on one surface of the glass substrate, which is passed between two heat/pressure rollers. Thus, the laminated material is attached to the glass substrate with heat and pressure.
This is a dry laminate type of method of lamination. Examples of dry laminate types include a method in which the laminated material is cut by unit length of the glass substrate, and then attached to the glass substrate, and a method in which a plurality of the glass substrates are successively fed, the laminated material is continuously attached to surfaces of the glass substrates, and then the laminated material is cut in each position between a rear end of one of the glass substrates and a front end of a succeeding one of the glass substrates.
In any of the above methods, the glass substrates with the laminated material must be inserted in a substrate cassette or a reservoir, and cooled naturally under a clean environment before the support is peeled. It is necessary to set a buffer zone for containing the glass substrates and a peeler device for the support. Also, a feeder is required to feed the glass substrates to the buffer zone. Those elements cause complication of the construction, to lower efficiency in the production. Furthermore, establishment of the clean environment absolutely requires spaces for setting the buffer zone and the peeler device in a clean room. The equipment for the production becomes very costly. Also, the clean room should be large itself, to increase a running cost for the production.
Another problem arises in the method of cutting the laminated material into portions associated with each of the glass substrates. Bits or dust is likely to occur by the cutting operation, and sticks on the glass substrates to cause failure in the product.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a laminator and laminating method for lamination to a substrate in which a product can be obtained efficiently and failure can be prevented reliably.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a laminator for lamination to a substrate by use of continuous laminated material is provided, the laminated material including a support, and a transfer layer overlaid on the support. A heat/pressure roller attaches the laminated material to the substrate with heat and pressure with the transfer layer opposed to the substrate. A cooler cools the substrate with the laminated material. A peeler peels the support from the transfer layer on the substrate from the cooler, to transfer the transfer layer to the substrate.
In a preferred embodiment, the transfer layer is photosensitive.
The cooler includes a cooling fan or blower for blowing cooling gas over the substrate after attachment of the laminated material.
The peeler transfers the transfer layer by separating the support along a predetermined peeling line from the transfer layer, and the peeling line is in a direction perpendicular to feeding of the substrate, or has an inclination to the perpendicular direction.
Furthermore, a half cutter is disposed upstream from the heat/pressure roller with reference to feeding of the laminated material, for cutting the transfer layer in the laminated material at a pitch associated with substantially a size of the substrate with the support uncut.
Furthermore, a supplier moves and supplies the substrate to the heat/pressure roller. A substrate/material feeder moves the substrate and the laminated material from the heat/pressure roller to the peeler while the cooler operates. An ejector moves and ejects the substrate from the peeler after laminating the transfer layer.
The peeler includes a guide roller being rotatable, having a rotational axis extending in parallel with the peeling line, for contacting the support. A winder winds the support bent on the guide roller away from the substrate, to separate the support from the transfer layer.
Each of the supplier and the ejector includes an advancing mechanism, operable in contact with the substrate at least partially, for advancing the substrate. A flotation blower blows gas over a lower surface of the substrate advanced by the advancing mechanism, to prevent the substrate on the advancing mechanism from flexing downwards.
The advancing mechanism includes plural advancing rollers, arranged in a direction of advancing the substrate, having rotational axes that are substantially parallel with one another, for being actuated in contact with the lower surface of the substrate.
The substrate/material feeder supports the laminated material and the substrate upwards in feeding, and the cooler blows the gas over an upper surface of the substrate.
Furthermore, a withdrawing cassette withdraws the substrate from the ejector after laminating the transfer layer.
The laminated material is oriented to direct the transfer layer upwards, and is attached to the lower surface of the substrate.
The ejector further includes a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate from the advancing mechanism to the withdrawing cassette. The advancing mechanism and the transfer mechanism contact lateral edge portions of the lower surface of the substrate, the upper surface, or lateral surfaces or an end surface of the substrate.
Furthermore, a preheater preheats the substrate while the substrate is moved by the supplier.
Therefore, a product can be obtained efficiently, because the cooler operates quickly to cool the substrate between stations of the heat/pressure roller and the peeler.